A leading Islamic cleric has suggested that preachers should be sent to every school in Scotland to teach children about Islam as a way of ending negative attitudes towards Muslims.

Ahmed Saad, who took over as leader of the Finsbury Park mosque in London eight months ago to restore its tattered reputation, is seen as a moderate.

Speaking at Edinburgh Central Mosque yesterday as part of the city’s month long Islam Festival he said: "One of the big challenges Islam is facing is ignorance and people need to be educated."

Saad’s comments come after the Muslim community in Scotland voiced fears over revenge incidents following the jeep attack at Glasgow airport which claimed the life of failed suicide bomber Kafeel Ahmed.

He added: "It would help if we stopped talking about ‘Islamic terrorism’ because to me what happened at Glasgow airport was not about religion - it was a crime."

Quite what the response will be from the minority SNP administration to this extraordinary suggestion that “people need to be educated” is anyone’s guess.